Drill guide for mandibular staples and staple construction



Dec. 10, 1968 A. SMALL 3,414,975

DRILL GUIDE FOR MANDIBULAR STAPLES AND STAPLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov.22, 1966 INVENTOR IRWIN A. SMALL ATTORNEYS United States Patent3,414,975 DRILL GUIDE FOR MANDIBULAR STAPLES AND STAPLE CONSTRUCTIONIrwin A. Small, 6861 Orinoco Circle, Birmingham, Mich. 48010 Filed Nov.22, 1966, Ser. No. 596,198 6 Claims. (Cl. 32--2) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The present invention is particularly directed to a drill jigto be used for guiding a drill for making apertures through a mandibularjaw at symmetrically arranged points, said bores through the jaw adaptedto receive the U-shaped mandibular staple over the free ends of whichare threaded nuts which project above the said jaw adapted to beinterlockingly nested and received within under-cut apertures within aremovable denture for anchoring the denture against lodgement.

The present invention relates to a drill guide for mandibular staplesand for the mandibular staple used therewith.

Disclosure The present invention is directed to a drill guide or jigbore for mandibular staples to provide an accurate means for guiding thedrilling of apertures through a mandible jaw be it human or animal,which apertures once drilled, are adapted to receive a mandibular staplewith fastening means thereon which retainingly engage the jaw and whichprovide a means for interlock with a denture removably mounted upon saidjaw.

Heretofore in the use of dentures of the removable nature andparticularly with reference to the lower mandible jaw natural suction orcohesion is often reduced due to the age and wasting away of the jawbone tissue. Various efforts have been employed to provide a means foranchoring the lower removable denture against accidental dislodgement.

The use of adhesives or mechanical devices heretofore attempted havebeen ineffective and inefiicient for the intended purpose andaccordingly it is the objective of the present invention to provide forthe use of a mandibular staple which is actually secured to the mandiblejaw beneath the subcutaneous tissue, and which once secured in place bya pair of nuts is so arranged that the nuts themselves are adapted to beinterlockingly nested within undercut apertures within a removabledenture for anchoring the denture against accidental displacement withrespect to the jaw.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specificationand claims in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present drill guide shown inexploded relation with respect to a mandibular jaw and a drill used withthe said drill guide, fragmentarily shown.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view illustrating the present mandibularstaple as assembled upon and to the mandibular jaw and with theremovable denture shown in dotted lines, portions of the mandibularstaple as cutaway being shown for illustration of the process.

FIG. 3 is a partly sectional plan view of the present drill guide.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken in the direction of arrows 44 ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the present mandibular staplebefore assembly and cutting off.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely apreferred embodiment of the invention and that Patented Dec. 10, 1968other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claimshereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawing FIGS. 1 and 2 show a human mandible jaw whichcould also be for an animal which is dentureless and is adapted toreceive a removable lower plate such as designated at 12, FIG. 2.

Mounted upon the mandible jaw 11 is the present mandibular staplegenerally indicated at 13, FIG. 2. Said staple is of U-sha-pe includingthe bite 14 adapted to underly the mandible jaw when assembled, FIG. 2,and which includes free end portions 15, FIGS. 2 and 5, which arethreaded at 16 to receive the removable irregularly shaped nuts 17,FIGS. 2 and 5. Said free ends after assembly of said nuts, FIG. 2 arecut off leaving the throw-away portions 36 FIG. 2. End portions of thestaple are stone ground or otherwise smoothened, or maybe distorted ifdesired to anchor the nuts against loosening once assembled so as tooperatively engage the upper surface of the mandibular jaw 11, FIG. 2.Shown in FIG. 2 is a spanner 18 whose ends are socketed as at 19, of apolygonal shape, for example, in order to cooperatively register overand to interlockingly engage the respective nuts 17, to anchor the sameagainst unloosening, the said spanner 18 being interposed below theremovable denture 12, shown in dotted lines, FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1 it is the drilling of the apertures 21 within themandibular jaw 11 which presents the most significant problem, primarilybecause it is essential that the bores 21 through the jaw be accuratelylocated symmetrically with respect to the jaw centerline inwardly of theconventional nerve centers 20 schematically shown in FIG. 1.

For this purpose there is provided the present drill guide or drill jiggenerally indicated at 22, FIG. 1 which provides a means of accuratelylocating the drill before the apertures 21 are formed within themandibular jaw.

The present drill guide 22 includes an elongated body 23 preferably ofstainless steel or other inert material, which may be a plasticsubstance or some alloy, as for example a chromium or molybdenum alloyfor illustration. The body 23 has formed therethrough a series of pairsof symetrically arranged and spaced jig bores 24, there being an innerpair as shown in FIG. 3 which are symetrically arranged with respect tothe connecting arm 26 and an outer parallel spaced pair of bores 24which are spaced from each other a distance different from the spacingbetween the inner pair of bores 24 as best shown in FIG. 3.

Arm 26 which projects centrally from the body 23 terminates in thetransverse elongated rod support 27 secured thereto and parallel withbody 23 and including formed therethrough corresponding pairs of spacedsymmetrically arranged parallel slots 28, each of the said slots 28being opposed from and parallel to a corresponding bore 24 in asymmetrical relationship.

The respective parallel elongated slots 28 are of U- shape incross-section and open outwardly of the end face of the support 27 andthe retaining plate 29 is mounted over said rod support 27 and securedthereto by fasteners 30 for the purpose of anchoring the U-shapedirector rod 31 within one of the: said slots 28 as hereafter described.

Said director rod is of general U-s-hape, FIGS. 1 and 4, includes bite32, long arm 33 and short arm 35. The long arm, FIG. 4 is cutaway toprovide a flattened portion 34 adapted for cooperative registry with theretaining plate 29 in the assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and tofacilitate longitudinal adjustment of the said 10- cator rod withrespect to the rod support 27.

In use the lower end of the short arm 35 of said director rod is adaptedfor vertical registry, FIG. 1 with a pre-selected point marked in somemanner upon the mandibular jaw 11 upon the interior thereof, which is tobe the axis or correspond to the axis for the drilling of a proper borethrough said jaw as shown at 21 for receiving the mandibular staple 13.

For this purpose the locator rod is manually adjusted and locked withrespect to the drill guide assembly so that the short arm 35 of thedirector rod is in registry with the exact location which has beenmarked upon the interior of the mandibular jaw for the drilling of asuitable bore therethrough such as shown in FIG. 1. So located and dueto the symmetry of construction the corresponding jig bore 24 is adaptedto serve as the guide for drill 25 located in direct axial registry withshort arm 35 and the said marking on the jaw. This guarantees that whendrilling occurs using the body 23 and the corresponding aperture 24 as ajig, the drilling up through the undersurface of the mandible jaw willbe accurate.

The present construction provides for symmetrical arrangement of therespective bores 24 and the respective slots 28 so that once theparticular symmetrical markings have been made upon the mandibular jaw11, FIG. 1, inwardly of the nerve endings to avoid problems, it becomesa simple matter to use the drill through the corresponding bore 24 insaid body for securing the first aperture therethrough as indicated at21, FIG. 1.

Once the first aperture has been completed through the mandible jaw, byretaining the short arm in the position shown in FIG. 1 the same or aditferent drill may be applied to the corresponding other spacedsymmetrical bore 24 for drilling of the second aperture 21 through themandible jaw. Said apertures are adapted to coperatively receive thefree ends 16 of staple 13 .of FIG. 2.

As a final step once the apertures 21 have been properly drilled throughthe mandible jaw, it being understood that the subcutaneous tissue priorto drilling has been cut away and turned back, the staple 13 is properlyassembled, as shown in FIG. 2 through the said apertures 21. The nuts17, are threaded thereover into cooperative retaining registry with atop portion of jaw 11, FIG. 2. After this the free ends 36 are cut awayas shown in FIG. 2 so as to be flush with the upper ends of nuts 17.

It is contemplated in the present construction that the said denture 12will have a pair of similarly and symmetrically arranged under-cutapertures adapted to cooperatively receive the projecting nuts 17 tothus anchor the denture against accidental displacement with respect tojaw 11.

The nuts 17 are tapered and quadrangular with an undercut lower border37 to protect the soft tissue of the gum around the pin. Thequadrangular and tapered contour will allow for positive seating inremovable denture 12.

Having described my invention reference should now be had to thefollowing claims. I claim:

1. A drill guide for mandibular staples comprising;

an elongated body having a pair of spaced symmetrically arrangedparallel jig bores;

an arm on and projecting from said body;

an elongated rod support secured on said arm parallel to said body andincluding a pair of spaced symmetrically arranged parallel slots, eachslot opposed from and parallel to a corresponding bore;

and a U-shaped director rod having a long arm adjustable nested andsecured within a slot and a short arm spaced from and in axial registrywith a corresponding bore; said director rod being so adjusted on saidsupport that the end of its short arm is in registry with apredetermined point on one side of a mandible jaw through which a boreis to be drilled; a corresponding jig bore being in axial registrytherewith upon the opposite side of said jaw, adapted to guidablyreceive a drill.

2. In the drill guide for mandibular staples of claim 1, a pair ofsymetrically arranged points for drilling through said jaw beingpre-selected corresponding to and adapted for registry with said jigbores respectively;

whereby the other jig bore is automatically located relative to said jawto guidably receive a drill for a second bore therethrough.

3. In the drill guide of claim 1, there being a second pair of spacedsymmetrically arranged parallel jig bores in said body at a diiferentspacing than said first pair of jig bores;

there being a second corresponding pair of spaced symmetrically arrangedparallel slots in said rod support, each opposed from. and parallel to acorresponding second bore;

said director rod being selectively nested and secured in one of saidslots.

4. In the drill guide of claim 1, said rod support slots openinglaterally outward;

the securing of said director rod including a retainer plate removablysecured to said rod support over said slots.

5. In the drill guide of claim 4, portions of said long arm being flat.

6. The method of locating and retaining a removable denture upon amandible jaw which comprises:

(1) accurately drilling a pair of spaced bores through a mandible jaw;

(2) projecting the free ends of a U-shaped mandibular staple throughsaid bores into snug engagement with said jaw;

(3) threading fasteners over the free ends of said staple intocooperative retaining registry with said jaw; and

(4) mounting a preformed apertured denture upon said jaw and snuglynesting said fasteners into the denture apertures.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 744,292 11/1903 Carr 32-21,312,141 8/1919 Slack 32-10 3,120,136 2/1964 Bieker 77--32.2

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 77--62; 3240

